DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species A (Figures 1-6) in the reply filed on 4/22/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 4-6 are withdrawn.
Claims 1-3 are currently examined in this office action.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements filed on 12/5/2024 is acknowledged by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Inoue US PG PUB 20160356388 (“Inoue”).
Regarding Claim 1, Inoue discloses a fluid equipment system (100) comprising: a flow path member (23, see figs. 5 and 6) installed to an installation face (S); a first valve (30) installed in a first region of the flow path member (23) when the installation face (S) is viewed in planar view (see figs. 1-3) and configured to switch a flow state (open and closing valve 30, para 0060-0066) of a fluid flowing through a first flow path (para 0061, first passages 11a to 16a, see para 0065); a second valve (30) installed in a second region of the flow path member (para 0062) when the installation face is viewed in planar view (see figs. 1-3) and configured to switch a flow state of a fluid flowing through a second flow path (para 0062, second passages 21a to 25a to drain passage 17a); a third valve (30) installed in a third region of the flow path member when the installation face (S) is viewed in planar view (see figs. 1-3) and configured to switch an inflow state of a fluid from a third flow path into the second flow path (para 0064-0065); and fluid equipment configured to supply a fluid to the flow path member (para 0047-0049, supply sources IN1 to IN6), wherein the second region is a region that matches the first region in first directions parallel to the installation face and is adjacent to the first region in second directions parallel to the installation face and orthogonal to the first directions (see figs. 1-3), wherein the third region is a region that is adjacent to the second region in the first directions and matches the second region in the second directions, wherein in the first region, an inflow port (IN1-IN6, see fig. 2), a fluid flowing from the fluid equipment (30) into the inflow port, and a first outflow port (OUT1-OUT5, see fig. 2) configured to allow a fluid flowing in from the inflow port to flow out in the first directions to outside are formed, wherein in the second region, a second outflow port (OUT1-OUT5, see fig. 2) configured to allow a fluid to flow out in the first directions to outside is formed, wherein in the third region, a third outflow port (DRAIN) configured to allow a fluid to flow out in the first directions to outside is formed, wherein the first flow path is formed in the first region so that a fluid flowing in from the inflow port is guided to the first outflow port via the first valve, wherein the second flow path is formed in the second region and the third region so that a fluid flowing in from the third valve is guided to the second outflow port via the second valve, wherein the third flow path is formed in the first region, the second region, and the third region so that a fluid flowing in from the first flow path is guided to the third outflow port, and wherein the inflow port is connected to the fluid equipment and opened to a fourth region that matches the third region in the first directions and matches the first region in the second directions (para 0065-0067; “[0065] The controller 50 of the fluidic device 100 opens either one of the five on/off valves 30 arranged between the first passages 11a to 16a and the second passage 21a while closing the other on/off valves 30, thereby supplying a fluid from either one of the first passages 11a to 16a to the second passage 21a. [0066] Similarly, the controller 50 of the fluidic device 100 opens either one of the five on/off valves 30 arranged between the first passages 11a to 16a and the second passage 25a while closing the other on/off valves 30, thereby supplying a fluid from either one of the first passages 11a to 16a to the second passage 25a. [0067] The controller 50 also opens either one of the five on/off valves 30 arranged between the first passages 11a to 16a and each second passage 22a to 24a (not shown) while closing the other on/off valves 30, thereby supplying a fluid from either one of the first passages 11a to 16a to the second passage 22a to 24a.”)(para 0196 and 0197 describe the opening and closing of fluid passages 11a-16a by valves 30 achieve different flow paths that allows fluid to travel from supply sources IN1 to IN6 to destination outlets OUT1 to OUT6 and DRAIN).
Regarding Claim 2, Inoue discloses the first valve (30) switches the flow state between a first outflow state where a fluid flows from the inflow port (IN1-6) to the first outflow port (OUT1-5) and a first shutoff state (30) where no fluid flows from the inflow port to the first outflow port, wherein the second valve (30) switches the flow state between a second outflow state (IN1-6) where a fluid flows from the third flow path to the second outflow port (OUT1-5) and a second shutoff (30) state where no fluid flows from the third flow path to the second outflow port, and wherein the third valve (30) adjusts a flow rate of a fluid flowing from the third flow path into the second flow path in the second outflow state (DRAIN) (para 0196 and 0197 describe the opening and closing of fluid passages 11a-16a by valves 30 achieve different flow paths that allows fluid to travel from supply sources IN1 to IN6 to destination outlets OUT1 to OUT6 and DRAIN).
Regarding Claim 3, Inoue discloses the third flow path is arranged lower in a vertical direction than the second flow path in the second region (para 0208-0209, “[0208] In that case, the fluidic device 100 has a three-layer structure that includes the first fluid unit 10 arranged on the bottom, the second fluid unit 20 arranged over the first fluid unit 10, and the on/off valves 30 attached on the top. [0209] According to this aspect, when either one of the first fluid unit 10 or the second fluid unit 20 needs to be replaced, only one fluid unit that needs to be replaced can be replaced while using the other fluid unit without replacement. Moreover, in replacing the one fluid unit, piping and other components attached to the other fluid unit that is not replaced is not required to be removed.”).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
KR101425009B1 and Hanada et al. US PG PUB 20050072481 describe modular valve systems.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Daphne Barry whose telephone number is (571)272-9966 and fax number is (571) 273-9966. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Friday 9 AM-6 PM (eastern).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor either Kenneth Rinehart can be reached at (571) 272-4881 or Craig Schneider can be reached at (571) 272-3607. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAPHNE M BARRY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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